1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of industrial painting, and specifically relates to a method and apparatus for minimizing pollution of the environment when it is necessary to remove residual paint from the pump and associated equipment, for example, before using the pump with paint of a different color.
2. The Prior Art
A typical industrial airless paint spraying outfit is used to pump paint under pressure from a drum in which it is supplied, to a hand-held spray gun. The paint spraying outfit is mounted on a drum cover, with an air motor above the drum cover and with a pump and agitator mounted below the drum cover. When the paint spraying outfit is in use, the drum cover rests on the upper rim of the open paint drum with the pump and agitator extending into the drum. When a first drum of paint has been emptied, the paint spraying outfit is lifted vertically out of the drum, the carted drum is rolled away, and a fresh drum is substituted.
However, if no further painting is to be done, or if paint of a different color or type is to be used, a different problem arises; namely, the problem of removing the residual paint from the insides of the pump and the hoses, as well as from the outside of the pump, agitator, and other structures that in use extend into the drum of paint.
Although it is known that a small object, such as a hand-held spray gun, can be placed in an enclosure and sprayed with a solvent to remove residual paint from the exterior of the object, the task of removing the residual paint from the pump and agitator and related parts that extend into the paint drum has, apparently, not been addressed. Current practice appears to consist of wiping those parts with a solvent-soaked rag. Because the solvent is highly volatile, much of it evaporates, filling the room with fumes, or polluting the atmosphere if done outdoors. The solvent-soaked rags are a fire hazard, and must be handled appropriately. In the process of wiping down the parts that extend into the paint drum, the worker was exposed to the possibility of accidental contact with the solvent as well as the hazard of breathing the solvent fumes.
In recent years, there has been a growing public awareness of environmental issues and a growing concern over the use of toxic and hazardous chemicals in the workplace. Strict regulations are being enacted and procedures that were once considered appropriate are no longer acceptable in the current climate of environmental awareness.